Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Technology: Education, Durban University of Technology, 2013. / In this study I have explored scientific insights towards establishing how the
biochemistry of the human being could have a significant impact on human learning
in a number of different ways. I have discovered that the biochemistry within the
whole human being is triggered by the molecules of emotion occurring in a
psychosomatic network active throughout the whole being. The molecules of
emotion are neuropeptides such as endorphins, linked to their receptors, such as
opiate receptors. This triggering of the molecules of emotion constitutes the pleasure
principle which enables and encourages learning. In addition, the growth of myelin
ensheathing all the neurons, through a process of myelination, also informs human
learning biochemically. These biochemical processes make human learning ‘active’.
These biochemical processes also constitute a network of subtle energies operating
in the viscera of all human beings, and so account for the anthropology of learning,
viz. what is common to all human learning, regardless of ethnic group, language,
economic circumstances, religious belief system, level of education, social class,
age, gender, rural or urban location, inter alia.
I have then drawn on my own learning experiences – my autobiography - and the
experiences of others – an autoethnography - for evidence of the operation of the
biochemistry in my and their learning. I have presented evidence of the emotions of
joy, love and fun activating whole-being-learning that occurs in all of personal,
spiritual and educational human learning.
I have described my living spiritual and living educational theory as one where
human learning happens when there is joy-filled love and love-filled joy within a safe
community of practice. Within this safe community of practice, at least three aspects
are argued to be features of whole-being-learning:
the relationships between the learners, their teachers and the subject are
characterised by joy-filled love and love filled joy.
the talents and gifts of both the learners and the teachers are explored,
celebrated, and used for inclusive benefit.
the knowledges of, about, and between, learners and teachers become
integrated and coherent.
My original contributions to the body of scholarly knowledge evidenced by my
study include the following :
I have established the link between human learning as a biochemical process
and the efficiency of games as a learning tool, thereby showing the link
between learning and fun.
I have explored the holistic, organic intrinsic connections between personal,
spiritual and educational human learning.
I have contributed to a growing understanding of the study of self as a subject
and object in terms of my ways of human knowing (my epistemology), my
ways of being human (my ontology) and my values (my axiology) which
(in)form my attitudes of joy-filled love and love filled joy in all that I do.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:dut/oai:localhost:10321/919 |
| Date | 16 October 2013 |
| Creators | Timm, Delysia Norelle |
| Contributors | Conolly, Joan Lucy, Sienaert, Edgard |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 341 p |
| Relation | Accompanying DVDs housed in Short Loans, BM Patel Libray. |
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